Page:Plutarch - Moralia, translator Holland, 1911.djvu/245

Rh good part of it; and in the end, for that by force he had carried away a woman and married her, was condemned for a rape, and lost all his own and his brother's goods, which by order of law was forfeit and confiscate to the exchequer of the emperor: now was Athenodorus abovesaid a very beardless boy still, without any hair on his face; and when by equity and the court of conscience, his portion out of his father's goods was awarded and restored unto him, he forsook not his brother, but brought all abroad and parted the one half thereof with him again; and notwithstanding that he knew well enough that his brother had used no fair play, but cunningly defrauded him of much in the division thereof, yet was he never angry with him nor repented of his kindness, but mildly, cheerfully, and patiently endured that unthankfulness and folly of his brother, so much divulged and talked of throughout all Greece.

As for Solon, when he pronounced sentence and determined in this manner as touching the government of the weal-public; That equality never bred sedition; seemed very confusedly to bring in the proportion arithmetical which is popular, in place of that other fair and good proportion called geometrical. But he that in an house or family would advise brethren (as Plato did the citizens of his commonwealth), above all, if possible it were to take away these words, mine and thine; mine and not mine; or at leastwise (if that may not be) to stand contented with an equal portion, and to maintain and preserve equality; certes, he should lay a notable and singular foundation of amity, concord and peace, and always build thereupon the famous examples of most noble and renowned personages, such as Pittachus was, who when the King of Lydia demanded of him whether he had money and goods enough? I may have (quoth he) more by one half if I would, by occasion of my brother's death, whose heir I am.

But forasmuch as not only in the possession, augmentation and diminishing of goods, the less is evermore set as an adverse and cross enemy to the more, but also (as Plato said) simply and universally there is always motion and stirring in unquality, but rest and repose in equality; and so all uneven dealing and unequal partition is dangerous for breeding dissension among brethren: and unpossible it is that in all respects they should be even and equal; for that either nature at first from their very nativity, or fortune afterwards, hath not divided with even hand their several graces and favours among them, whereupon proceed envy and jealousy, which are per-